Dental Assistant

About the role

The Dental Assistant will assist the dentist in all aspects of direct patient care and perform other clinical and clerical functions.

Responsibilities

• Provides assistance to customers with questions or concerns, provides service recovery
• Sets up operatory and/or surgery suite for planned dental procedure and cleans dental unit for timely turnover
• Passes instruments safely, accurately, and efficiently
• Keeps operative field clear of debris and retracts oral tissues effectively and comfortably
• Prepares dental medicaments and impression materials per manufacturer's instructions
• Accomplishes all intra-operative procedures within standard infection control protocols
• Aids in routine general dental procedures using concepts of four handed dentistry
• Aids in specialized dental procedures, such as oral surgery, endodontics, and periodontics, prosthodontics, implant placement and restoration
• Exposes both standard and specialty dental imaging (i.e TMJ, ceph, cone beam) in digital format
• Modifies settings to achieve images requested by the provider
• Images are characterized by diagnostic quality, accurately oriented and exposed
• Demonstrates proper infection control procedures in setting up and cleaning operatories
• Aids in filling gaps in the doctor's schedule due to late cancellations and failed appointments
• Initiates computerized progress note
• Aids dentist in charting findings and treatment plans in patient records

Requirements

• Basic knowledge of infection control and safe instrument handling
• Basic knowledge of dental procedures and [medical emergencies]
• Ability to perform basic radiographic image capture and processing/retrieval
• Basic knowledge of maintenance, care and storage of dental equipment
• Basic knowledge of patient privacy requirements

Qualifications

• Education: Successful completion of a 1-year dental assistant program accredited by the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA)
• Experience: Six months experience that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work - or provides familiarity with the work
• Experience/Education Combination: Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying
• Certification: Public Law 97-35 requires that persons who administer radiologic procedures meet the credentialing standards in 42 CFR Part 75

Skills

• Knowledge of anatomy
• [Ability to evaluate diagnostic quality]
• Broad knowledge of common medical emergencies and vital signs measurement
• Ability to learn and utilize software programs used within VHA
• Basic communication skills to provide patient instructions according to established protocol

Benefits

• Competitive salary and regular salary increases
• When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade)
• 37-50 days of annual paid time off per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)
• Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience
• After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child
• After 60 days of employment, full-time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66
• Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
• Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)
• Telework: Not Available
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position

Pay

Competitive salary and regular salary increases

When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade)

Schedule

M-F 7:30am-4:00pm (subject to changed based on agency needs)

Benefits

• Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
• Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
• Relocation Assistance: Not Authorized